Dear Dharma Friends, together Since our time as a sitting group has ended, it has been some time since I have shared on the UZ site thus I hope this post finds you warmly. As many of you know, the Great Buddhist Teacher; Thich Nhat Hanh is currently in critical condition at the...

Dear Beloved Friends & Supporters, For all those whom do not yet know, we regret to say Underdog Zendo is no longer holding Zen Practice in Chicago. A job opportunity arose for us which we could not pass up so Shiko & I have made the difficult choice to relocate to Los...

Guidance in Shikantaza the Absolute Practice of Just Sitting (by Rob Anderson adapted from the book; Warm Smiles From Cold Mountains) Zazen is the source of all the teachings and practices of the Buddha Way. All enlightenment practices emanate from and return to zazen. Zazen is...

From; Cultivating the Empty Field; The Silent Illumination of Zen Master Hongzhi Translated by Taigen Daniel Leighton and Yi Wu In; The Art of Just Sitting 2nd Edition: Essential Writings on the Zen Practice of Shikantaza Our house is a single field, clean, vast, and lustrous,...

Join us Wednesday evenings for our UZ Dharma Study Group where we’ll continue observe & discuss various texts from the Ancestors of Zen Buddhism. Beginning October 9th 2013, we will be starting a new book called “The Art of Just Sitting, Second Edition:...

"Presence - Wisdom - Compassion"

No Longer Holding Practice

Dear Beloved Friends & Supporters,

For all those whom do not yet know, we regret to say Underdog Zendo is no longer holding Weekly Zen Practice in Chicago. A job opportunity arose for us which we could not pass up so Shiko & I have made the difficult choice to relocate to Los Angeles, California.

For all our regular Sangha members, I want to say; You will forever remain etched in my Heart.

Who We Are

Underdog Zendo is a Zen Buddhist Sitting Group located on the West Side of Chicago, IL. USA which was founded on February 2012 & continued through December 2013 with the guiding principle to provide a positive & contemporary space for all those interested in the path of enlightenment & the practice of Zen Buddhism.

Sangha Covenant

We, the members of Underdog Zendo Sangha, with respect for the worth and dignity of each person, with wonder at the wisdom and compassion we seek to cultivate by practice, and with deep gratitude for the teachers of this lineage and our connection to one another, covenant to support each other by upholding the precepts of doing no harm, practicing good, and actualizing good for others.